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Author News & Interviews

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery --- whose work has been called "luscious and provocative" --- is back with a brand new series. THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY is the first book, and introduces us to three women at different stages in life who come together in the beautiful seaside town of Mischief Bay, California, to provide solace and support for one another. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller, Mallery talks about creating Mischief Bay (which is so well-conceived that it seems like a real place!) and why she chose to feature three distinctly different women. She also shares how she manages to be so prolific and where you can find more of her delicious recipes.

Allison Pataki is the author of the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed historical novel, THE TRAITOR'S WIFE. No slouch when it comes to history, Pataki was inspired to write her second work of fiction, THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS --- about how Empress “Sisi” Elisabeth of Bavaria accidentally won the heart, and court, of Emperor Franz Joseph --- by her family’s deep roots in the former Habsburg empire of Austria-Hungary. In this interview, Pataki reveals how she was able to whittle all of her fascinating historical source material down to an elegantly cohesive story, as well as the liberties that writing fiction allowed her to take. She also talks about how thoroughly she researched THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS --- of course, it's no surprise that traveling was a highlight!

In her latest book, BLUE STARS, Emily Gray Tedrowe explores, in profoundly moving detail, the lives of military families --- in particular, two very different women whose lives become intertwined in Walter Reed Army Hospital, where each must live while caring for her wounded soldier. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Alexis Burling, Tedrowe talks about how her own experience as a member of a military family informed her writing, and the critical task of capturing all the complicated and ever-shifting attitudes of the people left behind at the home front. She also discusses why the unexpected friendship between her two female protagonists is crucial to the narrative, and how she found room in a war story for Edith Wharton.

Michael Callahan is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and a former deputy editor at Town & Country and Marie Claire. His knowledge of style and culture certainly comes in handy in his debut novel, SEARCHING FOR GRACE KELLY. It’s the story of three young ladies --- all staying at the glamorous Barbizon Hotel in 1950s New York --- who embark on a journey of self-discovery that will take them from the penthouse salons of Park Avenue to the Beat scene of Greenwich Village to Atlantic City’s Steel Pier. In this interview with 20SomethingReads.com’s Rebecca Munro, Michael talks in stunning detail about the world that these women inhabited, as well as what drew him to the Barbizon Hotel in the first place. He also considers the timeless allure of a “bad girl,” how he created well-rounded characters out of tried-and-true archetypes, and what he thinks is the modern version of the Barbizon experience (hint: It’s not nearly as glamorous!).

Lisa Unger is an award-winning New York Times and internationally bestselling author, best known for dark psychological thrillers. Her latest, CRAZY LOVE YOU, incorporates all the elements that fans --- and she herself --- love most. In this interview, Unger shares some surprisingly light aspects of her creative process, including how she conceived of her character, Ian, and the evolution of The Hollows, the depressed, haunted town where Ian and his best friend, Priss, grew up. She also talks about why creative people seem to find “a home in their art” at a young age, and how the natural and supernatural worlds coexist side by side…and our experience of them is mostly a matter of perception.